Station / Estación # 153: Nopalera

Whilst Presidents Obama and Peña Nieto and Prime Minister Harper were discussing 20 years of NAFTA in Toluca yesterday, I made my way down to Nopalera station. Nopalera, of course, refers to the cactus from which the edible nopal pad is yielded. The area was once home to large farms dedicated to growing the nopal.

However, it seems that the nopal is one of the traditional Mexican foods that is being eaten less than previously. One of the effects of NAFTA over the past 20 years is that the Mexican diet has changed. Mexicans are eating more fatty and processed foods and fast foods and guzzling more soft drinks. Cheaper prices and wider availability have brought them into the reach of more and more people. Obesity and diabetes rates have risen accordingly.

Yesterday around the station, I didn’t eat any nopales either. I did, however, have a couple of tacos de canastaand a good chat to the friendly vendors. I also took my first steps of the project in the Tlahuac municipality (delegación in Spanish). Mexico City is made up of 16 delegaciones. Not long ago I saw an interesting map of the Federal District inside the recently refurbished Isabel La Catolica Station. The metro lines are superimposed on the 16 delegaciones of the city. It starkly shows that the metro system is concentrated in the centre and north of ‘el DF’ with parts stretching into Mexico State to the north.The southern boroughs of the city – Tlalpan, Xochimilco, Milpa Alta – are metro free whilst the new line 12 just enters Tlahuac. The metro bus and light rail pick up some of the slack.

Anyway, back to the visit. The warm pre-spring sun was beating down again. I saw a few candidates for the dog grooming salon in the area. There is a smattering of colourful art, a street called Hansel and Gretel and if you were heading to Bernal’s birthday bash, well, there is a sign announcing that the moto-taxis will deliver you to his door!

All in all a pretty normal Mexico City neighbourhood – pretty calm, non-threatening, nice for a wander. I’ve got 10 stations to go now in the project resumption. I hope you’ll continue to jump on board as the time approaches for me to jump off and start something new.